underground fights.

The time had come. Kanou Shou had been following Kenichi for some time. His flaming blue motorcycle carried him forward as he continued his investigation into his future rival. The young man wore an open blue jacket and a pair of jeans that contrasted with his fierce spirit; he had been tailing them for quite a while.

-He's taking her to a botanical garden on a date. The guy isn't doing too badly… oops, what am I thinking? I have to keep up with them! I need to find out what kind of person this disciple of Ryozanpaku is, the one who calls himself the strongest, - Shou muttered as he followed, watching Kenichi and Miu enter the botanical garden.

Miu was captivated by the beauty of the place, looking around in awe while wearing a yellow dress and a red jacket. Her loose hair made her look even more beautiful than at first glance. Meanwhile, Kei was enduring Ogata's rigorous training, fully refining the Ryu Sekuken. He was pushing himself beyond the usual limits; adapting such a technique is difficult, yet with Kei's talent for picking up skills just by watching, and with the guidance of the right master, he could bring the technique to its limits, molding it to fit his system.

-Wow! This is the first time I've been to a botanical garden! - Miu exclaimed, running around with barely contained joy.

-I'm sorry, Miu-san. I was put in a tight spot and this was the only place I could think of. I thought you might like it… maybe I should have taken you to the Roppongi Hills instead, - Kenichi said, bowing apologetically.

-What are you saying? You brought me to such a lovely place! - Miu responded, running off to see the roses, looking like a child enchanted by everything around her.

-Wow, look! This is a Samurai Rose, and that one's a French Rose… this rose smells like soap! - Miu marveled as she looked at some vibrant blue and red flowers nearby.

-Haha, actually, it's the other way around. Soap is made to smell like roses, - Kenichi laughed.

-This tree has fruit growing on the trunk,- Miu observed, delighted by the unique features of the botanical garden.

-Ah, that's a cacao plant. You can make chocolate from its seeds, - Kenichi explained.

Miu's face was radiant as she looked around, her big blue eyes sparkling with happiness, her expression full of wonder and warmth. It was comforting for Kenichi, who had recently sensed a sadness in her eyes that he didn't quite understand. She sighed often and even seemed distracted during her Furinji-style practice sessions.

-I haven't had this much fun in a long time, - Miu commented.

Kenichi's thoughts drifted to his recent mistakes. Miu had been feeling down ever since her visit to her parents' grave with the Elder, wanting to go there with Kei, but he hadn't shown up. So she'd gone with Runna instead, a subtle change that Kenichi noticed upon returning. They met at the botanical garden, with the Elder carrying a sleeping Runna.

-Um, Miu, about when we visited the graves earlier…- Kenichi began, only to find Miu had vanished.

…

Miu searched around but soon saw that Kenichi had disappeared. She darted between the trees and found herself face-to-face with Kanou Shou, who was quietly watching a tree. Fate seemed to be weaving its threads as expected.

-A bird, - Miu commented.

-Huh? - Kanou was startled, realizing someone had come up behind him. He cursed himself for not masking his presence when he was distracted by something. He couldn't break the habit; for example, he despised crawling insects but loved birds, and whenever he saw them, he forgot his surroundings. And now, he had made contact with someone from Ryozanpaku. If his master found out, he'd be furious.

-It seems tangled in fishing line, - Miu said, looking up at the struggling bird.

They both leaped at the same time to free it. Kanou Shou watched as Miu leaped gracefully from branch to branch, momentarily captivated. Miu's charisma was indescribable; she was simply beautiful in every way. Her gentleness, innocence, and kindness, combined with her unmistakably warm aura, made her who she was.

-Could you hand me the bird?" Miu asked, her voice filled with compassion. - It's tangled up pretty badly, but thankfully, we found it soon enough, and it hasn't been too harmed,- she murmured, gently holding the bird in her hands.

--There, it's free now, - Kanou murmured, completely awestruck.

--You made this pretty easy. Are you a martial artist or something?- Miu asked, noting his grace as he jumped over the tree.

-I've found you. I've been searching for you all along, Shou exclaimed.

-What!? -

-My name is Kanou Shou. Let's go together to the vastness of darkness! - Shou declared.

-Yami.-

-Yes, I'm certain you'd be accepted in Yami, - Shou continued.

-You're a member of Yami?- Miu said, surprised. She knew about Yami; Kei had told her all he knew. He'd mentioned that some members were good people, others went along with circumstances, yet Yami certainly had a dark side. Kei had shared this knowledge with her, on the condition that she kept it to herself. However, everyone at Ryozanpaku knew, except Kenichi.

-Your movements are a lot like Saiga Furinji's,- Shou remarked.

-You know my father? - Miu responded.

--Huh? Oh, yes, naturally. Being in Yami, I've gathered a lot of information about him,- Shou replied. In an instant, he was standing behind Miu. - If you'd come with me for just a bit, I could tell you everything you want to know about him. -

-I'm not interested in learning about my father, - Miu said firmly.

-Ohhh." Kanou Shou sighed, somewhat unsettled by her refusal.

-Would you leave the darkness if that were the case? - Miu asked. Her message was clear: she would never go into darkness; he'd have to come to the light.

Kanou Shou wasn't prepared for this. He laughed emptily, then leaped down from the tree, declaring he was part of the darkness, even if it bound him. For Miu, it was a new beginning. Kei had promised he'd change, that he'd tell her everything about himself, and he had done just that… There were still things he kept locked away, wounds that lingered. But Kei had sworn he'd leave the darkness in a year and a half, to follow the path of good once he discovered Yami's plans, knowing they posed a threat to the innocent… all for her. Kei was going against his master and his creed.

Miu's joyful smile confused Shou, but it was still beautiful. Defeated and lost in thought, the blue-haired young man continued on his way, leaving Miu to admire the park.

...